Digital Commons Network^™

The Real Of The Postmodern Rabble : Žižek And The Historical Truth Of The Hegelo-Lacanian Dialectic, Zachary Nathan Tavlin

LSU Master's Theses

In this essay I attempt to answer a fundamental question about Žižek’s heterodox reading of Hegel’s dialectic: what project sustains this reading in the first place? That is, what is at stake for Žižek himself? The purpose of this essay is to develop in this fashion a reading of Žižek (since he does not programmatically answer this question), although not one that is necessarily meant to compete against other alternatives. My argument, then, is that Žižek’s ontological and hermeneutical project is ultimately political, that when Žižek says we need Hegel “now more than ever,” he has a political situation in …

The Uplift Resistance Of Spartina Alterniflora In A Louisiana Salt Marsh, James Madison Bouanchaud Iii

LSU Master's Theses

The uprooting resistance of Spartina Alterniflora was measured in Terrebonne Bay and Bay Jimmy, both of which are located in Louisiana. The parameters collected included plant uprooting resistance, stem diameter, and stem height. Seasonal variations and site specific properties were considered. A device was designed and constructed that was able to perform the specific testing under the constraints of the field site. The device consisted of a winch mounted to a tripod and connected to an inline load cell to measure the uprooting resistance. The data sets were analyzed to determine the relationship between the uprooting resistance and the physical …

Modeling, Simulation And Analysis Of Renewable Energy Production Systems: Application To Multi-Product Biorefineries, Aryan Geraili Nejadfomeshi

LSU Master's Theses

The primary purpose of this research is to investigate the design and modelling of fully integrated processes which utilize renewable feedstock as raw materials and evaluate the alternative technology and possible process integration options for biorefinery processes to select the optimal configuration based on the production yields and economical profit criteria. The case study considered in this work is a lignocellulosic biorefinery plant which has different technology choices for each section of the process and the ability to produce multi-products from lignocellulosic raw materials. We analyzed different scenarios by simulating the superstructures in Aspen Plus. To incorporate more non-linarites in …

The Use Of Duddingtonia Flagrans For Gastrointestinal Parasitic Nematode Control In Feces Of Exotic Artiodactylids At Disney's Animal Kingdom®, Jenna Terry

LSU Master's Theses

Gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) are parasites of major concern for domestic and exotic ruminant species around the world. In the past, zoological facilities used anthelmintics as their primary control method. Challenges in accurate dosing and administration of anthelmintics to exotic hoofstock contributed to the development of resistant nematode populations in zoological settings. The historic dependency on anthelmintics to control GIN populations is no longer an option. Biological alternatives are urgently needed, in both exotic and domestic ruminants, in the war against resistance. One such alternative is the use of the nematophagous fungus, Duddingtonia flagrans. Three independent studies were conducted: A nine …

On Human Biological Diversity : Variation In Sexual Dimorphism Of The Skull Between African-Americans And European-Americans, Amanda Grace Kittoe

LSU Master's Theses

This study assesses sexual dimorphism of the skull in samples of African-Americans (AA) and European-Americans (EA). Morphology of the cranium is classically referenced as an indicator of sexual dimorphism in the fields of bioarchaeology and forensic anthropology. Variation in size and shape of cranial elements has been found to differ significantly between ancestral populations. Abundant research suggests that patterns of sexual dimorphism also vary between ancestries. This study uses a sample of 55 AA females, 50 AA males, 49 EA females, and 49 EA males from the Hamann-Todd Collection at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History and the WM Bass …

The Search For Catalytic Subunit Of Dna Polymerase Α In Thermomyces Lanuginosus, Chelsea Elyse Meier

Honors Program Theses

In eukaryotes, the enzyme DNA polymerase a (DNAPa) begins the process of DNA replication. Ultimately, this means DNAPa is responsible for all cell proliferation and growth of an organism. The mechanism by which this enzyme operates is interesting due to its implications in medicine; however, that mechanism remains largely elusive. DNAPa, including its catalytic subunit, has been studied in several eukaryotes. Unfortunately, these organisms present issues with the ease of study and with ethics. This research delved into a novel model organism that was potentially devoid of all these issues: the fungus Thermomyces lanuginosus. Though T. lanuginosus was easy to …

A Bank Erosion Hazard Index (Behi) Study Of Dry Run Creek, Cedar Falls, Iowa, Cara Wright

Honors Program Theses

Dry Run Creek is a watershed located in Cedar Falls; Iowa and it is on a list of the state's impaired waterways. One reason it may be impaired is that there is excessive erosion in the stream. This study assessed the Bank Erosion Hazard Index of portions of the creek to determine erosion hotspots. The majority of the banks in all the branches had a Low score, meaning that the BEHI was less than 11.9. The minimum BEHI score is O and the maximum score is 40. The lower the score, the better the condition of the bank. Portions of …

Atp-Induced Changes In F-Actin Expression Via P2x7, Taylor Hircock

Honors Program Theses

The purpose of this research project was to study the effects that extracellular ATP has on F-actin levels in cells containing the P2X7 purinergic receptor. MAC-T cells which express the receptor were exposed to various levels of ATP and stained to undergo flow cytometry. In this case, F-actin was labeled with 488 phalloidin which was able to be detected by the flow cytometer. This was done in conjuction with controls to show how ATP exposure affected Factin levels. Based on these results, the cytoskeletal changes taking place in the cell in response to ATP were able to be measured and …

Expressed Sequence Tag For Dna Polymerase Alpha In Embryonic Chicken Brain, Rebecca Krewer

Honors Program Theses

Replicative DNA polymerases are enzymes located in the nuclei of cells. They have a role in the control of DNA synthesis in all cells, and problems with their function and control affect cell growth. One of these polymerases, DNA polymerase alpha ("pol α"), is a possible point of control for cell growth because it initiates DNA synthesis. The ability to selectively turn on or shut off this polymerase in cells could provide answers to problems ranging from cancer's unregulated growth to regeneration of tissues. However, control mechanisms for DNA pol α are not fully understood at this time. The central …

Birds And Butterflies Respond To Soil-Induced Habitat Heterogeneity In Experimental Plantings Of Native Tallgrass Prairie Species In Iowa, Usa, Benjamin J. Hoksch, Mark C. Myers, James T. Mason, Jarrett D. Pfrimmer, Andrew J. Ridgway

Undergraduate Student Work

We studied interrelationships between prairie plant establishment, habitat heterogeneity, and bird and butterfly biodiversity in an experimental prairie reconstruction in Iowa, USA. We seeded 48 research plots on three soil types with one of four treatments containing one, five, 16, or 32 species. During early establishment, neither bird nor butterfly abundance, species richness, or community diversity varied among the three soil types; however, there were significant treatment × soil type interactions when comparing bird and butterfly community composition among plots. Our results demonstrate that plots established with identical seed mixes and management practices developed variable habitat characteristics due to variation …

A Study Of The Genes Tfl1 And Lfy As Agents In The Divergent Evolution Of The Plant Species Arabidopsis Thaliana And Carica Papaya, Ryan Lockard

Honors Program Theses

The long term goals of this study are to: (1) To determine if the genes TFLI and LFY perform any role in the divergent evolution and development of these two plant species; (2) If so, begin to assess whether the homologs' functional divergence is a result of gene regulation, protein function, both, or some different genetic mechanism altogether. These goals will be accomplished by genetically transforming Arabidopsis thaliana plants containing TFLI and LFY knockout mutations (those genes removed) with the homologous genes from Carica papaya in order to compare differences in development between the plants resulting from the influence of …

A Population Genetic Study Of The Fish Rhinichthys Cataractae In Northeast Iowa Using Microsatellite Genotype Data, Haley Ann Rinehart

Honors Program Theses

Rhinichthys cataractae has a wide distribution across the country and can be found in the majority of temperate habitats across North America (Girard & Angers, 2011). Similar to other species that inhabit northeast Iowa streams, its present-day distribution has been heavily influenced by Pleistocene glaciations (Girard & Angers, 2006). Corresponding to the distinct landscape and glacial history of northeast Iowa, the longnose dace is distributed almost exclusively in the northeast comer of Iowa (Figure 3). Investigation of the genetic diversity of this species will help clarify what steps need to be taken to ensure their survival and success, and may …

Effects Of Flooding On The Flora And Fauna Of A Reconstructed Tallgrass Prairie, Andrew J. Ridgway, Mark C. Myers, Benjamin Hoksch

Undergraduate Student Work

Prairie restoration for the purpose of biofuel production has the potential to be much more beneficial than using corn-based ethanol. These benefits include less damage to soil from fertilizers or pesticides, less management and greater suitability for native fauna. The current study of this restoration consists of surveying vegetation characteristics on four different soil types seeded with four different mixes, as well as observing bird and butterfly use of the restoration. In the fourth year of management of this particular prairie restoration a great deal of flooding occurred. The frequency and intensity of the flooding had a great affect on …

The Effects Of Stem Inquiry Practices On English Language Acquisition In A First Grade Classroom In Thailand, Rebecca J. Fuhrman-Petersen

Graduate Research Papers

This mixed-methods teacher action research project describes and interprets the effects of one American teacher's bicultural critical inquiry praxis on Thai first grade students' English language acquisition. The observations were conducted for one full academic year for 37 students enrolled in a bilingual, multicultural STEM pilot program. The results are based upon participant observation and narrative inquiry from a qualitative standpoint. However, quantitative methods were used to analyze 1) students' questioning, answering techniques and physical activities based on video recordings of STEM lesson activities; 2) students' growth in critical thinking skills as measured by their writing in relation to their …

Joint Analysis Of Stressors And Ecosystem Services To Enhance Restoration Effectiveness, J. David Allan, Peter B. Mcintyre, Sigrid D. P. Smith, Benjamin S. Halpern, Gregory L. Boyer, Andy Buchsbaum, G. A. Burton Jr., Linda M. Campbell, W. Lindsay Chadderton, Jan J. H. Ciborowski, Patrick J. Doran, Tim Eder, Dana M. Infante, Lucinda B. Johnson, Christine A. Joseph, Adrienne L. Marino, Alexander A. Prusevich, Jennifer G. Read, Joan B. Rose, Edward S. Rutherford, Scott P. Sowa, Alan D. Steinman

Faculty Publications

With increasing pressure placed on natural systems by growing human populations, both scientists and resource managers need a better understanding of the relationships between cumulative stress from human activities and valued ecosystem services. Societies often seek to mitigate threats to these services through large-scale, costly restoration projects, such as the over one billion dollar Great Lakes Restoration Initiative currently underway. To help inform these efforts, we merged high-resolution spatial analyses of environmental stressors with mapping of ecosystem services for all five Great Lakes. Cumulative ecosystem stress is highest in near-shore habitats, but also extends offshore in Lakes Erie, Ontario, and …

Building Stories: Modernity, Socialization And Failure In Works Of Franz Kafka And Hannah Arendt, Chris Carpenter

University Honors Theses

For both Hannah Arendt and Franz Kafka modernity is a matter of loss. Arendt articulates this loss as coeval with the rise of 'society' and the subsumption of the public sphere by the private. Kafka is more oblique, but I believe his fiction describes the same kind of socialization process, a process that leads to alienation, loss of agency, and ultimately, failure. By reading Kafka through an Arendtian lens I show how each writer's conception of modernity complements the others. By integrating Walter Benjamin's influential reading, I show how Kafka's ideas of 'progress' and 'knowledge', subsumed under the social, inevitably …

Agricultural Transitions In Northwestern Argentina, Kimberly Reynolds

University Honors Theses

Worldwide, agriculture has seen a transition from small scale subsistence farming to large scale commercial operations, often associated with green revolution technologies and support by government policies and western models of economic development. Argentina with its history as a salient agricultural exporter serves as a valuable example of the agricultural transition from subsistence to commercial production. In the small town of San Pedro de Cololao, Tucuman, we studied the agricultural transitions that are taking place and analyzed the role that socioeconomic, cultural and political factors play in the shift.

Through the case studies of agricultural practices in San Pedro de …

Imperfect Isolation: Factors And Filters Shaping Madagascar’S Extant Vertebrate Fauna, Karen E. Samonds, Laurie R. Godfrey, Michael R. Sutherland, Steven M. Goodman, Miguel Vences, Mitchell T. Irwin, David W. Krause

Faculty Articles, Papers, and Other Scholarship

Analyses of phylogenetic topology and estimates of divergence timing have facilitated a reconstruction of Madagascar’s colonization events by vertebrate animals, but that information alone does not reveal the major factors shaping the island’s biogeographic history. Here, we examine profiles of Malagasy vertebrate clades through time within the context of the island’s paleogeographical evolution to determine how particular events influenced the arrival of the island’s extant groups. First we compare vertebrate profiles on Madagascar before and after selected events; then we compare tetrapod profiles on Madagascar to contemporary tetrapod compositions globally. We show that changes from the Mesozoic to the Cenozoic …

Suggestions For Evaluating The Quality Of The Army’S Science And Technology Program: The Portfolio And Its Execution, John W. Lyons, Richard Chait, James A. Ratches

Defense and Technology Papers

This paper presents a methodology discussing the goal of establishing the strongest possible technology program appropriately aligned to the needs of its customers and the expectations of its stakeholders. The first chapter presents the essential elements of the Army S&T portfolio followed by discussions of the Army S&T portfolio and the evaluation of it.

“Damning The Dams”: A Study Of Cost Benefit Analysis In Large Dams Through The Lens Of India's Sardar Sarovar Project, Evelyn Wong

Scripps Senior Theses

This thesis examines the evaluation of the economic, environmental and social effects of dams, and lessons learned from previous dams. It then focuses on cost benefit analysis as a decision-making tool pre-project for evaluating the potential gains and losses of building a dam; and as a framework for evaluating dams in operation. It reviews the basic assumptions required for a legitimate cost benefit analysis, and the inherent limitations of this method. It uses the Sardar Sarovar dam as a case study for the use and abuse of cost benefit analysis in decision-making, interstate politics, propaganda and activism. It also illustrates …

Estimating Mammalian Densities Using Automated Videography At The Firestone Reserve, Costa Rica, Emily Grace Cole

Scripps Senior Theses

Camera trapping, a process in which images of organisms are captured through the use of motion and or infrared sensor cameras, is frequently used within the field of biology to estimate species density through the capture-recapture method. Classic physics models of density based on the ideal gas constant, however, can be used to estimate the density of an animal population without the need for recognition of individuals. This study adapts one of these models (Rowclife et al. 2008) to the unique data recorded through automated videography or video trapping, and uses it to estimate the population densities of three relatively …

Combination Therapy For Inflammation And Neurodegeneration In Multiple Sclerosis Rodent Model, Nicole Neva Marie Trager

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a complex demyelinating CNS disease that involves both immunologic and neurodegenerative mechanisms of pathophysiology. MS is characterized by lymphocyte infiltration in the CNS resulting in extensive axonal neurodegenerative processes. The current therapies for MS act through either immunomodulatory or immunosuppressive mechanisms; none address both the immune and degenerative arms of the disease. The immunomodulatory agents are generally broad spectrum and non-specific immunosuppression and are associated with significant toxicities. Thus, novel therapies or therapeutic strategies are needed to fully combat both inflammatory and neurodegenerative events that define MS. The animal model experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) is used …

Osteogenic And Antimicrobial Nanoparticulate Calcium Phosphate And Poly-(D, L-Lactide-Co-Glycolide) Powders For The Treatment Of Osteomyelitis, Vuk Uskoković, Charles Hoover, Marija Vukomanović, Dragan P. Uskoković, Tejal A. Dasai, Charles Hoover, Marija Vukomanović, Dragan P. Uskoković, Tejal A. Dasai

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Development of a material for simultaneous sustained and localized delivery of antibiotics and induction of spontaneous regeneration of hard tissues affected by osteomyelitis stands for an important clinical need. In this work, a comparative analysis of the bacterial and osteoblastic cell response to two different nanoparticulate carriers of clindamycin, an antibiotic commonly prescribed in the treatment of bone infection, one composed of calcium phosphate and the other comprising poly-(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide)-coated calcium phosphate, was carried out. Three different non-cytotoxic phases of calcium phosphate, exhibiting dissolution and drug release profiles in the range of one week to two months to one year, respectively, …

The Roles Of Primary Cilia In Polycystic Kidney Disease, Samred H. Kathem, Ashraf M. Mohieldin, Surya M. Nauli

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is an inherited genetic disorder that results in progressive renal cyst formation with ultimate loss of renal function and other systemic disorders. These systemic disorders include abnormalities in cardiovascular, portal, pancreatic and gastrointestinal systems. ADPKD is considered to be among the ciliopathy diseases due to the association with abnormal primary cilia function. In order to understand the full course of primary cilia and its association with ADPKD, the structure, functions and role of primary cilia have been meticulously investigated. As a result, the focus on primary cilia has emerged to support the vital roles …

A Story Of Marguerite: A Tale About Panis, Case Comment, And Social History, Signa A. Daum Shanks

Articles & Book Chapters

Those interested in social history contend that social norms deserve attention due to how they impact and are affected by historical events. This subfield has contributed significantly to how larger historical mosaics are understood, and how themes specific to marginalized groups are appreciated today. By presenting the story of enslaved Indigenous woman in New France who was the first Indigenous civil litigant in Canadian history, and focusing on her representation in the colonial legal system, a number of themes emerge. Canada’s history of slavery becomes better understood, and in so doing, a challenge to social historians is presented. By examining …

Modeling Of Misalignment Effects In Microfluidic Interconnects For Modular Bio-Analytical Chip Applications, Sudheer D. Rani, Taehyun Park, Byoung Hee You, Steve A. Soper, Michael C. Murphy, Dimitris E. Nikitopoulos

Faculty Publications

Minimizing misalignments during the interconnection of microfluidic modules is extremely critical to develop a fully integrated microfluidic device. Misalignments arising during chip-to-chip or world-to-chip interconnections can be greatly detrimental to efficient functioning of microfluidic devices. To address this problem, we have performed numerical simulations to investigate the effect of misalignments arising in three types of interconnection methods: (i) end-to-end interconnection (ii) channel overlap when chips are stacked on top of each other, and (iii) tube-in-reservoir misalignment occurring due to the offset between the external tubing and the reservoir. For the case of end-to-end interconnection, the effect of misalignment was investigated …

The Methodological Imperatives Of Feminist Ethnography, Richelle D. Schrock

Journal of Feminist Scholarship

Feminist ethnography does not have a single, coherent definition and is caught between struggles over the definition and goals of feminism and the multiple practices known collectively as ethnography. Towards the end of the 1980s, debates emerged that problematized feminist ethnography as a productive methodology and these debates still haunt feminist ethnographers today. In this article, I provide a concise historiography of feminist ethnography that summarizes both its promises and its vulnerabilities. I address the three major challenges I argue feminist ethnographers currently face, which include responding productively to feminist critiques of representing "others," accounting for feminisms' commitment to social …

Synthesis, Spectroscopic Characterization, And Biological Screening Of Binuclear Transition Metal Complexes Of Bicompartmental Schiff Bases Containing Indole And Resorcinol Moieties, Mahendra Raj Karekal, Mruthyunjayaswamy Bennikallu Hire Mathada

Turkish Journal of Chemistry

A series of binucleating Cu(II), Ni(II), and Zn(II) complexes of bicompartmental ligands with ONO donors were prepared. The ligands were synthesized by the condensation of 5-substituted-3-phenyl-1H-indole-2-carboxyhydrazides and 4,6-diacetylresorcinol. The newly synthesized ligands and their complexes were characterized by elemental analysis and various spectral studies like IR, ^1H NMR, ESI-mass, UV-Vis, ESR, thermal studies, magnetic susceptibility, molar conductance, and powder-XRD data. All the complexes were binuclear and monomeric in nature. Cu(II) complexes have octahedral geometry, whereas Ni(II) and Zn(II) complexes have square planar and tetrahedral geometry, respectively. The redox property of the Cu(II) complex was investigated by electrochemical method using cyclic …

Prolonged Sexual Abstinence After Childbirth: Gendered Norms And Perceived Family Health Risks. Focus Group Discussions In A Tanzanian Suburb, Columba Mbekenga, Andrea B. Pembe, Elisabeth Darj, Kyllike Christensson, Pia Olsson

School of Nursing & Midwifery, East Africa

Background: Prolonged sexual abstinence after childbirth is a socio-cultural practice with health implications, and is described in several African countries, including Tanzania. This study explored discourses on prolonged postpartum sexual abstinence in relation to family health after childbirth in low-income suburbs of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Methods: Data for the discourse analysis were collected through focus group discussions with first-time mothers and fathers and their support people in Ilala, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Results: In this setting, prolonged sexual abstinence intended at promoting child health was the dominant discourse in the period after childbirth. Sexual relations after childbirth involved the …

Mothering Values : An Exploration Of Generational Differences In Values, Beliefs And Attitudes, Marguerita Walsh

Theses

Maternal employment has led to an increase in the need for childcare (Horgan, 2001). In 2005, the most valuable source of childcare for children of primary school age was unpaid relatives (Share & Kerrins, 2009). 33% of grandparents are involved in childcare on a weekly basis (Jones, 2011). Therefore, childrearing tasks are shared, and children may be exposed to a variety of childrearing values.

Given the key-role grandparents, and in particular grandmothers play in childcare, this research focuses on exploring the parenting values, beliefs and roles of maternal grandmothers and mothers of children under the age of ten and how …